Risotto has always seemed like a labor-intensive dish to me. So, I steered clear. But rumor had it that risotto could be made in an Instant Pot without ANY stirring, and in just a few minutes. I had to test this! And add veggies, of course.

Instant Pot Risotto Nutrition

We’ve upped the health factor of this risotto by adding veggies and reducing some fat. But even though we’ve reduced the butter and cut the cream, there is still plenty of creaminess!

While risotto isn’t made with brown rice (which we usually recommend), it is better than regular long-grain white rice. Arborio rice has 2 grams of fiber per serving rather than less than 1, and it has a little protein and iron. Not perfect, but balance is okay!

Then the veggies – always trying to get more of those in! Cherry tomatoes contain some vitamin A and C, which helps with absorbing the iron in the rice. Asparagus also contains vitamins A and C, as well as some iron and protein.

A note on altering the recipe

I need to mention something important to note before we jump in: if you change the vegetables or amounts I can’t ensure it will work. I’m not saying it will not work, but I did adjust liquid ratios for this specific recipe. If you experiment, I would love to hear what you figure out!

Here’s why: making risotto without veggies would call for about 2:1 liquid to rice ratio. With the vegetables I added and in the amounts I added them, we’re using only 3 cups water to 2 cups rice. Veggies have high water content, so they can replace some of the water.

If you do change the veggie amount, a good rule to go by is putting them in your liquid measuring vessel and then adding the broth to the amount you need (using the 2:1 ratio as a guide) – with an extra heavy dash of liquid to make up for the solid matter.

6-minute Instant Pot Risotto

First, heat up your Instant Pot. Press “Saute” and make sure it’s on the “normal” setting. This takes a few minutes to heat up, so turn to veggie prep.

Dice 1/2 an onion really tiny so that it isn’t noticeable in the final product. Now rinse your veggies (1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes and about half a bunch of asparagus) and chop the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. You should come out with about 1 1/2 cups asparagus. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.

Now throw 2 tablespoons of butter into the heated Instant Pot (it should say “hot” when ready). Saute onion for 3 minutes, then add in rice and saute for another 3. You want the rice to be lightly toasted. Push “cancel” to turn off the saute function.

Once a little toasted, pour in 3 cups of broth, 2 tablespoons of lemon, garlic, and veggies. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of oregano.

Close the lid of the Instant Pot and seal the vent. Push “Manual,” make sure the pressure is set to high (use adjust to toggle), and then set it to 6 minutes.

My pot came to pressure within a few minutes, so total cook time was around 10 minutes. Once the pot beeps, do a quick release by carefully opening the vent and letting steam escape. Once the pin drops, open the lid.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the heated Instant Pot, then add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add rice and saute for another 3 minutes, until just barely starting to toast. Press "cancel" to turn off the saute function.

Add the broth, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and veggies. Scrape the bottom a bit to make sure no rice is stuck. Place the lid on the pot with vent closed, and use "Manual" on high pressure. Select 6 minutes.

Once the rice finishes cooking, do a quick release by carefully opening the vent to release steam. After the pin drops, open the pot and carefully stir in the parmesan cheese.

Hi Jamie! The process for making risotto is more complicated if you’re not using an instant pot. The liquid ratio will be different and it requires that you stir in the liquid gradually. You can try to follow our butternut squash risotto recipe as a guide, just use spring veggies instead of squash and add the lemon and cheese at the end: http://www.superhealthykids.com/butternut-squash-risotto/

This was a good recipe for my first go at the Instant Pot. In your directions, you forgot to mention to sauté the garlic. I thought it needed double the amount of salt but I tend to like salt 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.